Tide motor



MLOQ@ R. G. KISSEL March 1.15, i938.,

TIDE MOTOR Filed May 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 TIDE MOTOR Roman George Kissel, St. Charles, Ill. .Application MayI 20, 1936, Serial No. 80,818

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for utilizing tides.

More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in mechanisms for utilizing efficiently the power in ocean tides.

. An object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for utilizing the power of tides having improved eiiiciency over devices heretofore known and used.

A further object is to provide mechanism of the kind referred to which will have improved eiciency over devices heretofore kno-wn and used on both a rising tide and a falling tide.

A further ob-ject is to provide mechanism of the kind referred to which is relatively low in cost to construct and which is not likely to get out of order in service.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is a vertical sectional view illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a sectional View illustrating a detail of construction.

The numeral Ill indicates a foundation which may be of concrete, which foundation has a height sufficient to span the full range of the tide. In Figure 1 the line II indicates low tide and the line i2 indicates high tide. The concrete foundation lil is. provided with the recess indicated by the numeral I3, which recess is bounded at its bottom by the iioor portion is having the aperture i5 communicating preferably coaxially with the recess I3. A channel I@ provides communication for water flow between the ocean and theV aperture i5. 40 The numeral I1 indicates -a shell construction which may be made of steel, which shell construction is mounted within the recess E3. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention the shell construction El is hexagonal in horizontal section, though other shapes may be preferred by some of those skilled in the art.

rIhe top wall, indicated by the numeral Ila, of the shell construction il' may be flat to pro- 50 vide a deck upon which may be mounted ahouse i8 within which may be mounted power transmitting mechanism. Disposed within the floor I4 of the concrete foundation l@ is the movable gate I9, which may be controlled by a wheel 2li disposed upon the deck I'Ia. By operation of the.

vhand wheel 26 communication between the ocean and the recess I3 may be controlled.

Disposed in spaced circumferential arrangement around the shell I'I are a plurality of vertical guide means 2 I-2 I which guide means serve 5 to guide the iioat 22 in its up and down movement. Saidfloat 22 may, if preferred, take the form of a shallow horizontal vessel open at its top. Said iioat at the periphery thereof is provided with flanges 23--23 having radially extending 10 U-shaped openings for receiving the vertically disposed guide means 2I-2 I.. Carried by the floor ,M are a plurality of abutments 2li- 24, which abutments have their upper surfaces in a common plane which may be in the same plane L15 as the line H, which indicates the level of low tide.

Preferablyv coaxially disposed with respect to the float 22 is the inverted cup-shaped member 2t. The lower edge of said cup-shaped member figo 25 is in a plane parallel with the bottom of the iioat 22. The inverted cup-shaped member 25 has its horizontal wall centrally apertured and is united to the bottom of the iioat 22 with a watertight connection. The numerals 26-26 indicate 25 apertures in the bottom of the float 22 communieating with the interior of the inverted cupshaped member 25. These apertures are adapted to be controlled by the valve plate 2l. Said valve plate Z'Ineed not be described in. detail, it being 30 sufficient to state that said valve plate should be movable with respect to the bottom of the float 22, to allow air to escape from the inverted cup- .shaped member 25, whereby water may rise in said cup-shaped member 25 to the bottom wall 35 ci the flo-at 22, after which said valve plate should be secured in water-tight relationship with the iioat 22. As shown in Figure 2, the iioat 22 may be cylindrical in horizontal cross section and may be 40 strengthened by means of the radially disposed braces 213-23, each of said braces being iianged at its outer extremity for connection with the peripheral wall of the oat 22. The innermost extremities of the braces 28--28 may bev secured '45 within a center casting 29 disposed centrally of the float 22.

Disposed with respect to the casting 2S is the 1 vertically disposed shaft 30 adapted to reciprocate within the bearing 3| carried by the shell v'50 construction I 1.

The power transmitting mechanism for converting the reciprocating movements of the shaft 30 into rotary movement will now be described. Mounted within the house I8 and secured to the 55 deck Ilal is the inverted U-shaped frame 32 providing a pair of vertically disposed guideways. Said guideways may be provided with anti-friction rollers 33-33. Mounted for vertical reciprocation within the inverted U-shaped frame 32 is the rack member which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 34. As shown in Figure 3; the rack member 34 is provided with a pair of vertically disposed side bearing members 35-35 adapted to ride uponV the anti-friction rollers 33-33. Said rack member 34 takes the form of an elongated loop and is rigidly united to the vertically reciprocable shaft 30. Mounted upon one side wall of the rack member 34 is the vertically disposed rack 35, and disposed upon the opposite side wall of the rack member 34 is the rack member 37. Said rack members 36 and 31 are disposed out of opposed relationship with one another. Said rack member 36 has meshing relationship with a pinion 38 and said rack member 3l has meshing engagement with a pinion 39. Said pinions 38 and 39 are coaXially disposed and are rotatably mounted upon the common shaft 40. Each of the pinions 38 and 39 is adapted to be connected to the shaft 46 by means of a pawl and ratchet arrangement, the ratchet cooperating with the pinion 38 being indicated by the numeral 4I and the ratchet cooperating with the pinion 3S being indicated by the numeral 42. 'Ihe pawl cooperating with the ratchet 4l is indicated by the numeral 43 and the pawl cooperating with the ratchet 42 is indicated by the numeral 44. The pawl and ratchet arrangement cooperating with the pinion 3B Yis oppositely disposed with respect to the pawl ratchet arrangement cooperating with the pinion 39. Consequently, movement in one vertical direction ofthe rack member 34 will, through the pawl and ratchet arrangement associated with the pinion 38, cause rotary movement of the shaft 45. During said movement of the rack member 40 the pinion 39 will not be operatively connected to the shaft 40. Upon reverse movement of the rack member 34, pinion 39 will be operatively connected to the shaft 34 and pinion 38 will be disconnected. Therefore, in the manner well understood, reciprocations of the rack member 34 will produce unidirectional rotation of the shaft 40.

Any desired power mechanism may be utilized for stepping up the speed of the shaft 40. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, said shaft 4l) has mounted thereon the gear 45 which meshes with the pinion 46. Said pinion 45 is rigidly connected to the pulley 4l, which. through a chain belt 48 or the like is adapted to transmit power to the pinion 49. Said pinion 49 is connected to the pulley 59, which through a link belt 5| or the like is adapted to drive an electric generator 52, or other converter of energy. If preferred, a mechanical governor 53 may be provided for holding constant the speed of the pulley 59.

The mode of operation of the above described embodiment of the present invention will be clear without detailed explanation. In operation the valve plate 21 will be opened to permit water to rise within the inverted cup-shaped member 25 to the bottom of the float 22,.after which the valve plate will be sealed closed. As the tide rises the float 22 will be lifted by the to the float. Y

water entering through the channel i6, the ex'- tent of travel of the float 22 being defined by the limit between the lower and upper level of the tides. In the event that a heavy load is being imposed upon the power transmitting mechanism within the house I8, there may be a tendency for the water at the time of a falling tide to fall away from the float 28. Such action would tend to create a vacuum within the inverted cup-shaped member 25, imparting a strong pull upon the bottom of the oat 22, drawingthe float 22 positively along with the receding water within the recess I3. By reason of the construction above described, a positive and steady action is had upon the vertically reciprocating shaft 3B, resulting in a smooth application of power which may be readily predetermined by those familiar with the action of the tides at the locality where the mechanism is located. By reason of the power transmitting mechanism above the deck Ila as above described, the slow, smooth movement of Y the vertically reciprocable shaft 39 is converted into rotary movements at speeds practical for commercial operation.

Though a preferred embodimentof the present invention has been described in detail, many Ymodifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, foundation means providing a recess adapted to provide communication with the sea at a level below high tide, said foundation-y means also providing an aperture or pit of smaller diameter than the recess located centrally in the bottom of thelrecess, a float within the recess, and a cup-shaped member located centrally on the bottom of the float coaxially with the aper".

ture whereby the forces due to rise and fall of the tide will be applied centrally to the float, and power take off means connected to the float.

2. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, foundation means providing a recess adapted to provide communication with the sea at a level below high tide, said foundation means also providing an aperture or pit of smaller diameter than the recess located centrally in the bottom of the recess, a float within the recess, and a cup-shaped member located centrally on the bottom of the float and attached thereto coaxially with the aperture whereby the forces due to rise and fall of the tide will be applied centrally toy the float, and power take off means connected to the oat.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, foundation means providing a re cess toprovide communication with the sea at a level below high tide, said foundation means also providing an aperture or pit of smaller diameter than the recess located centrally in the bottom of Vthe recess, said aperture or pit adapted to connect the recess with the sea, a float within the recess, and a cup-shaped member located centrally on the bottom of the float coaxially with the aperture whereby the forces due to rise and fall of the tide will be applied centrally to the float, and power take 01T means connected ROMAN GEORGE KISSEL. 

